Clasp for antiskid-chains.



G. F. SEVERS.

CLASP FOR ANTISKID CHAINS. APPLICATION FILED JULY 21, 1918.

1,299,864. v Patented Apr. 8,1919.

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clasp,

ends terminating in GEORGE F. $IJVERS, OF CENTERVILLE, IOWA.

cLAsr ron ANTI-S'KID-CHAINS.

Specificationof Letters Patent.

Fatented Apr. 8,1919.

Application filed Ju1y'27, 1918. Serial No. 247,069.

To all whom itmay concern: 7

Be itknown that Y I, Gnome F. Snvnns, a citizen of the United States,residing at Genterville', in the county "of Appanoose and State of Iowa,have invented certain new and useful Improvements" in Clasps forAntiskid-Chains, of which the-following is aspecification, referencebeing had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to a clasp for an anti-skid chain, and-has forits object the construction of a very simple and efficient clasp, whichwill assist in tightening the chain and which is also of such"construction as will cause the clasp to be retained'in a closed orlocked position, after the chain has been placed upon the'wheel of avehicle.

With this and other objects in view, my invention consists of certainnovel constructions," combinations, and arrangements of parts, as willbe hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings: p

Figure 1 is a fragmentary view of an anti skid chain equippe with my"improved showing the clasp in side. elevation.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view of an anti skid chain, showing my clasp inlongitudinal section.

Fig. 3 is a clasp.

Fig. clasp.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged, fragmentary view of my clasp, showingparticularly the manner of unlocking the same, while Fig. 6 is a frontview, in elevation, of the clasp.

Referring to the drawings by numerals, 1 designates the tire of anordinary type upon which is placed the anti skid chain 2.

My improved clasp comprises a pair of straight side portions 3, formed,preferably, from spring steel, and having their forward an eye or loop 4that the sides 3, the loop 4 top plan view of my improved 4 is a rearview, in elevation, of my extends up between being formedbycoiling, at5, the s des 8, whereby the coiled portions 5 constitute a spring forpermitting the eye or looped portion 4 to yield, for the purpose ofpermitting the latch-lever 6 to be moved from engagement with the eye orloop portion 4, as hereinafter specified.

The latch-lever 6 is provided with a forward, upwardly-extending,tapering end 7 tively tightly and with a rearwardly-extending looped end8; the latch-lever 6 being bowed considerably, at- 9 (Fig 2) to enablethe latch lever to have a certain amount of leverage on the connectinglink 10 of the anti skid chain 2.

The rear ends of the straight sides 3 are bent into the form of loops oreye'portions 11, which are adapted to register with the looped rear end8 of the latch-lever, and through which registeringends, rivet or bolt12 is passed, for securing the sides 3 and latch-leverG together; thisrivet 12 has headed ends 13, and bearing against these headed ends 13are washers 14, 14, for retaining securely the rear parts of the devicetogether. It will be noted particularly upon referring to Fig. 4, thatthe looped ends 11 of the sides 3 are bent outwardly, so as to causeafrictional contact-with the washers'14, which produces a braking action,to prevent the latch-lever from having a tendency to too readily moveto'an open position, the looped end 8 of the latch-lever 6,.having itsloop slightly spread apart, or to one side, so that the'looped ends 8and 1101. the device are crowded together between the washers 14, forproducing a very efiicient device, reason of the latch-lever 6 beingcomparaheld in frictional engagement with the looped ends of the sides,for producing a retarding action upon the lever from too readilypivoting upon the rivet 12 in operation.

In the forward looped portions 5- of the sides 3, the link 10" of theanti skid chain 2 is permanently positioned. When it is desired tofasten the anti skid chain 2 upon the tire 1, the chain is placed overthe tire, and then the latch devices (one positioned on each side of thechain as customary in each instance) are brought close to the connectinglink 10, the upwardly-extending reduced end 7 of the latch-lever is runthrough the link 10, and then the latch-lever is swung forward towardthe eye or looped portion causing the link 10 to ride backward upon thelever, and the more the latch-lever 6, is swung toward the sides 3, byreason of the fulcrum action of latch-lever 6, at 9, the anti skid chainis drawn taut, and then by exerting suiiicient inward pressure upon thelatch-lever, the end 7 thereof is sprung under the eye or loop portion4, as clearly shown in Figs. 2, 5 and 6, the end 7 snapping under thetop or outer portion of the eye or v scope of the loop portion 4 andbeing securely retained in this position by the resiliency of the entiredevice.

To release the latch-lever 6, I usually employ a pair of pliers 15 (Fig.5) having comparatively long jaws, and the jaws are placed over theouter or upper end of the eye or looped portion 4 (as shown), and bybringing the pliers forward, in the direction of the arrow, (Fig. 5) onejaw of the pliers will force the end 7 of the latch-lever from under theeye or looped portion 4, thereby releasing the latch-lever from itslocked position and permitting the separation of the ends of the antiskid chain; as hereinbefore stated, it will be understood that I use twoof my clasp devices upon an anti skid chain, one upon each side, but aseach device is similarly constructed one of my'clasps. o

I have found from actual experience with a working model, that mydevice, being constructed of resilient steel or metal, will operate asdescribed, and while in the foregoing description and in theaccompanying drawings, I have disclosed the preferred embodiment of myinvention, still I reserve the right to make such alterations,modifications and changes as will be ob skilledin the art to whichthisinvention relates, and as shall fairly fall within the appended claim.What I claim is:

A clasp device for anti skid chains, comand operates the same, it1s onlynecessary to specifically describe vious to one prising a pair ofstraight side portions terminating at their front ends in integralloops, said loops terminating in an outwardly-xtending eye positionedbetween the sides said side portions provided at their rear ends withloops, said last-mentioned loops having portions thereof extended 0utwardly, a rivet passing through said lastmentioned loops, said rivetprovided with headed ends, washers positioned upon said loops and inengagement with said headed ends-,said last-mentioned loops of the sideportions frictionally engaging said washers, anda latch-lever providedwith a loop upon its rear end, said loop having a portion thereofextending laterally to frictionally engage the loops on the rear end ofsaid portions, latch-lever and last-mentioned loops of the side portionsbeing crowded'at all times between said washers,jsaid latch-leverprovided near its rear looped end with a comparatively longfulcrumportion, said latch-lever provided with an upwardly-extending, curvedreduced for ward end, and said forward end of the latchlever beingadapted to eye formed upon the loop end of the described. v

In testimony whereof I hereunto alfix my signature. I SEVERS s at theforward I GEORGE F. Witnesses to above signature: EMMA E. PULLIAM, 1FLORENCE GR Y.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0., 1 r v be sprung under the sides, substantially asshown and

